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"Animals are such agreeable friends -- they ask no questions; they pass no criticisms." ~ George Eliot (1819-1880), English writer, Scenes of a Clerical Life
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| Captain Jack and the Pirates by Peter Bently; illustrated by Helen OxenburyJack, Zack, and Caspar, the young trio from King Jack and the Dragon, are back for another day of imaginative play -- this time at the beach! As the three friends build a ship out of sand (complete with teddy bear cabin boy), their creativity transforms their surroundings, and they soon find themselves sailing their ship through white-capped waves. But what's that on the horizon? It's a ship full of pirates (who look suspiciously like parents)! Will there be a skirmish on the high seas, or will an offering of ice cream keep the peace? Find out in this "riveting read-aloud adventure" (Booklist) packed with rollicking rhymes and dreamy watercolor illustrations. |
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| The Night Gardener by Terry and Eric FanWilliam's life at the orphanage on Grimloch Lane is glum and gray until the morning he awakes to an astonishing sight: the tree outside his window has been trimmed into the shape of a majestic owl. It's just the first of many enchanting animal topiaries to appear in the night, and as their presence livens up his gloomy neighborhood, William watches carefully to find out who is behind the stunning arboreal art. Muted twilight colors and intricate illustrations add to the air of mystery in this quietly inspiring debut picture book (written by two brothers). Green-thumbed readers looking for further topiary tales should also be sure to check out Peter Brown's The Curious Garden. |
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| Listen to Our World by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson; illustrated by Melissa SweetFrom the author of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? comes a lively new book that begins with a question asked by mommies around the globe: "Can you hear the sounds of our world?" Those sounds vary based on what animals live nearby, and children will relish the opportunity to mimic the hisses of Gila monsters, the squawks of parrots, and the songs of whales (to name just a few from this noisy menagerie). Each animal is depicted in cheery, natural hues by award-winning illustrator Melissa Sweet, and the book concludes with animal facts, making Listen to Our World a great pick for eager listeners and curious learners alike.
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| Yaks Yak: Animal Word Pairs by Linda Sue Park; illustrated by Jennifer Black ReinhardtHomographs are one of the many amusing quirks of the English language, and young children who are still learning how to talk, read, and write are perfectly poised to appreciate the humor in them. Pairing animal-verb homographs with seek-and-find visual humor, this goofy picture book presents some plausible scenarios (bugs bugging other bugs, ducks ducking with their tail-feathers in the air) alongside some deliciously silly ones (slugs slugging it out with boxing gloves, steers steering bumper cars). And with definitions and etymology included for each verb and animal name, Yaks Yak will expand vocabularies as well as tickle funny bones. |
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| Puddle by Hyewon YumUgh! What could be more frustrating than the cooped-up, squirrelly feeling of being stuck inside on a rainy day? Nothing, if you're the little boy in this book. When his mom offers drawing supplies, he grumpily declares "NO! I'll never draw!" Patiently, Mom begins to draw for him. A picture of the boy's blue umbrella sparks his reluctant interest, and as Mom draws the boy's imagined, rain-soaked hijinks, the boy is lured into playful participation...and both are lured out to play in the actual rain! For more picture books about beating the drizzly doldrums, try Linda Ashman's Rain! or Daniel Miyares' Float. |
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| Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown"Can I keep him, PLEASE?" Tutu-wearing Lucy the bear cub begs her mom to let her keep the oh-so-adorable critter she found in the woods: a human boy. Lucy is sure she can train him, and at first, Lucy and Squeaker (named for the funny sounds he makes) have a great time playing together. However, Lucy soon discovers the challenges of having a pet kid: he's messy, temperamental, and extremely stubborn about using the litterbox. Muted retro-modern art (a style that's repeated in Lucy's follow-up adventure, You Will Be My Friend!) lends an old-fashioned sweetness to this quirky, giggle-inducing tale of role reversal and responsibility. |
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| How to Train a Train by Jason Eaton; illustrated by John Rocco"So you want a pet train? Well, of course you do!" Even kids who aren't railroad enthusiasts will get on board with this whimsical guide to train ownership. The first step is to tempt the right train to come home with you (smoke signals and offerings of coal are your best bet), followed by giving your new pet a name (does your train look like a Milo, or more of a Captain Foofamaloo?) before teaching your train tricks and taking it on play dates. Polished, cheerfully expressive artwork featuring a diverse cast of humans and locomotives rounds out this tongue-in-cheek tale. |
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| This Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver JeffersIs it really possible for a person to own a wild animal, especially one as majestic as a moose? Wilfred certainly believes it is. Ever since he found Marcel, Wilfred has tried to get the free-spirited moose to follow the many rules of being a good pet, with only limited success. Still, Wilfred is unprepared for the shock of discovering that his beloved companion may actually belong to someone else! Fans of author/illustrator Oliver Jeffers' offbeat humor and spindly-limbed characters will be pleased to find both here, hilariously juxtaposed with sweeping landscape paintings in this unusual (and unusually thought-provoking) story about ownership and friendship. |
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| If I Had a Raptor by George O'ConnorLots of kids would agree with the adorable, poofy-pigtailed heroine of this book when she declares that having a dinosaur for a pet would be "the best thing ever." The imaginative little girl daydreams about how she'd pluck a fluffy blue baby dino out of a box labled "Free Raptors," and how she and "Dinah" would be the best of friends, no matter how big Dinah grew (or how early the nocturnal raptor woke her up). Readers who are charmed by the idea of a ferocious, prehistoric companion may also enjoy the sequel, If I Had a Triceratops. |
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| Sparky! by Jenny Offill; illustrated by Chris AppelhansAfter her mom says she can have a pet "as long as it doesn't need to be walked, bathed, or fed," a little girl finds a solution in the form of Sparky, her new, ultra-lazy pet sloth. While Sparky certainly looks cute draped over a tree branch, he's not quite as lively as the girl hopes. He doesn't do tricks, or play hide-and-seek, or move much at all. Is there more to companionship than fun and games? Kids who enjoy the deadpan humor and understated art in Jon Klassen's books will love finding out -- though they may think twice before requesting pet sloths of their own. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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